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ruthenium Definition

ru·theni·um (-t̸hē′nē əm)

noun

a rare, very hard and brittle, silver-gray chemical element, one of the platinum metals, used as a hardener in alloys of platinum and palladium and as a catalyst: symbol, Ru; at. no., 44

Etymology: ModL: so named (1828) by G. W. Osann, Estonian-Russian chemist who produced it in impure form < ML Ruthenia, Russia (source of the ore) + -ium

ruthenium Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

radioactive: Media attention was at it peak in 1983 when radioactive ruthenium was allowed out to sea and washed back onto the holiday beaches.

Modifies a noun

  • compound: Haimei will show how she has incorporated new design features into ruthenium compounds that are active against a wide range of cancer cells.
  • cluster: The iron and ruthenium clusters not only lost their carbonyl ligands, but their cluster cores were also fragmented.

Noun used with modifier

element: The most significant discoveries of KSU include non-Euclidean geometry, obtaining aniline from nitrobenzene, new element Ruthenium, phenomenon of EPR.

Browse dictionary entries near ruthenium

  1. ‹ ruthenious
  2. ‹ ruthenic
  3. ‹ Ruthenian
  4. ‹ Ruthenia
  5. ‹ ruth
  6. ‹ rutabaga
  7. ‹ rut
  8. ‹ rusty
  9. ‹ rustproof
  10. ‹ rustling
  1. rutherford ›
  2. Rutherford atom ›
  3. rutherfordium ›
  4. ruthful ›
  5. ruthless ›
  6. rutilant ›
  7. rutile ›
  8. rutin ›
  9. Rutland ›
  10. Rutledge ›